Switch to Lefty ?
Question:
ADVANTAGES to being/playing lefty: -Most everyone else can’t play your guitar. -Southpaw Guitars http://www.southpawguitars.com/ (they’ll take good care of you) -Being in some very special company: Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Albert King, Elizabeth Cotton, etc. I taught myself to play when I was 12 years old. I began right-handed, but within a few weeks I had switched to lefty (and reversed the strings) simply because I was more coordinated and dexterous that way — as a typical right-handed person would be learning right-handed. I never looked back. Sure there are some practical disadvantages, but those concerns come in second to playing in the way which is most "natural" for you. Dave
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow > learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see > progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did it > help ? > Thanks > JC
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > ADVANTAGES to being/playing lefty: > -Most everyone else can’t play your guitar. > -Southpaw Guitars http://www.southpawguitars.com/ (they’ll take good > care of you) > -Being in some very special company: Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, > Albert King, Elizabeth Cotton, etc. > I taught myself to play when I was 12 years old. I began > right-handed, but within a few weeks I had switched to lefty (and > reversed the strings) simply because I was more coordinated and > dexterous that way — as a typical right-handed person would be > learning right-handed. I never looked back. Sure there are some > practical disadvantages, but those concerns come in second to playing > in the way which is most "natural" for you. > Dave > I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been > a slow learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. > I do see progress right handed but not much. I practice about a > hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if > so did > it > help ? > Thanks > JC
I was the same as Dave – I borrowed a friend’s right-hand semi-acoustic at the age of about 14. Got nowhere for a few months with it. I kept wanting to pick it up "upside down". One night an older friend was round and while I was unawares he re-strung the guitar left-handed for me. When I got back into the room he persuaded me to sit with it in the left-handed position and try bashing out the simple chords I’d been learning, using my right hand to make the chords rather than my left. Needless to say I felt within an hour or so that I’d "caught up". I’ve never tried to play a right handed guitar ever since, only for fun. I’m not particularly good, mind you – but it feels natural to play "left handed". I’m fairly heavily left-handed, in that I can’t use my right hand to passably scrawl, draw etc – it’s really not up to that sort of thing at all. Dunno if that makes any difference. I’m in the UK too, and I’ve noticed more and more left-handed stuff creeping onto the streets and what-have-you. I got my first proper left-handed guitar when I was about 16, in the mid 80s. It was a Marlin Loner (god!) – nothing special but we weren’t flush with cash. We had to order it specially as the stores we visited didn’t, as a rule, stock left-handed guitars. Now my local store always has a couple of interesting lefties in. My advice to JC would be – try and get hold of a leftie in a shop for a little while, or borrow one – or if you can, consider re-stringing your current guitar for a couple of evenings (it will cost you a couple of sets of strings at the most). Of course, if your current guitar is particularly expensive it might not be a good idea to put the strings on the other way round, I’m sure there are experts here who would shudder at the thought. 
If you can pick a leftie up for a little while and it feels more comfortable, I’d switch. It’s not such a big deal, really, and even if it’s more psychological than anything else, if you feel less encumbered by the guitar, all the better for your playing. — Rob Uttley
Response:
> I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow > learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see > progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did it > help ? > Thanks > JC
How are you learning to play? Are you taking lessons? If so, talk about this with your teacher. You might have to get a new teacher. If you are learning on your own, you might need to take a look at your approach. Maybe you should try a few lessons, or a new book or video. Tell us what kind of instruction you have used to get where you are now. Also, tell us what kind of songs you are playing or what types of things you are practicing. That would help to tell you what you need to do to improve. The guitar is one of those things that you need challenges so you can grow. You need to take on more complex stuff as you go forward. It is when we don’t challenge ourselves, we don’t see progress.
Response:
After struggling for 6 mo., switching to a lefty guitar worked for me. Now Jimmy Page is jealous of my progress. * Doc Rock *
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow > learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see > progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did it > help ? > Thanks > JC
Response:
I’m just having trouble getting my left-hand fingers to form chords and play scales. I’ll keep trying and see if I can put it together… thanks
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow > learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see > progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did > it > help ? > The vast majority of left-handers don’t need to play left-handed guitars…a > very small number do need to. Playing left-handed has a LOT of > disadvantages (hard to find guitars, can’t play someone else’s axe in a > pickup jam, etc), so it should be avoided if you can. > What kind of trouble are you having? Sometimes left-handed people assume > that they’re having trouble because of their orientation, when all that’s > really happening is that they’re struggling to get the basic techniques down > (just as EVERYONE struggles with the beginning bit). > If playing guitar right-handed absolutely positively feels unnatural, it > might be worth switching. Additionally, if you just can’t get your right > hand coordinated enough to strum or pick, you might have to switch. If > you’re just having trouble getting your left-hand fingers to form chords and > play scales, it’s probably nothing to do with hand-dominance. > - Mike Pugh
Response:
I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did it help ? Thanks JC
Response:
> I have been trying to play righty since January. I have always been a slow > learner but I’m wondering if I should be progressing faster. I do see > progress right handed but not much. I practice about a hour a day. > Is there any other left handed people that decided to switch? if so did it > help ?
The vast majority of left-handers don’t need to play left-handed guitars…a very small number do need to. Playing left-handed has a LOT of disadvantages (hard to find guitars, can’t play someone else’s axe in a pickup jam, etc), so it should be avoided if you can. What kind of trouble are you having? Sometimes left-handed people assume that they’re having trouble because of their orientation, when all that’s really happening is that they’re struggling to get the basic techniques down (just as EVERYONE struggles with the beginning bit). If playing guitar right-handed absolutely positively feels unnatural, it might be worth switching. Additionally, if you just can’t get your right hand coordinated enough to strum or pick, you might have to switch. If you’re just having trouble getting your left-hand fingers to form chords and play scales, it’s probably nothing to do with hand-dominance. - Mike Pugh
Response:
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